Easier said than done, right? I know. But it’s a very true statement. In order to attract top tier clients, you’ve got to provide a top tier product or service. Doing so means that you are constantly thinking of ways to elevate your brand. This includes, but is not limited to, better social media tactics, innovative products and memorable content.

What are you doing to step up your game?

Give before you get.

I am the first one to admit it. Ideally, better clients mean better money. That was my goal last year: “Get higher caliber clients” and I accomplished it. Was I completely ready? Yes and no.

I had been preparing for the day that ideal clients would realize the value of my services and believe in me to take on the work. I realized I had to sell – and I hate selling! But I had to find a way that was comfortable to me. So, it happened to be through storytelling.

A prospective client will come to me with a problem, and I tell them a story of how I can provide a solution with a pitch deck (a pitch template that has evolved over time by trial and error).

Listen to your clients.

Simply put … Your customers will tell you what’s missing and needed by asking questions. I base everything off of the customer. I started to notice recurring questions they’d add after reviewing my proposal.

I realized that my goal was to cover as much digestible information as possible to gain trust and help them know they are in goods hands with me. Basically, I want them to feel like I read their mind! This is all a part of me creating a better brand. The goal is always to provide the right information so they don’t have questions. Thus, I’m clearly positioning my company as the solution to their problems.

Have a big vision.

Most brands are focusing on so many things (like, revenue, sales goals, creating products, executing services, etc.) — and rightfully so! However, this can make it difficult to find the time to effectively communicate with your target audience and current customers.

Define a cause.

The moment you’ve defined your brand, its time to define its cause. There’s no way you can have a brand and not stand for something meaningful.

How does your product or service make people’s lives easier? More fulfilling? In order to prompt people to believe you, you’ve got to be your biggest mascot. Convince people to believe in your brand as much as you do, by using fervor, zeal, and guts to mobilize your customers into becoming as passionate about the cause as you are.

Study your audience’s pov.

Another thing! Sit in the seat of your customer and assess your brand. When you visit a website, what impresses you? What information are they providing you with that makes you want to make a purchase or return to that site? Figure that out fast. If you’re not impressed, then why?

These tips may sound simple, but we all overlook this stuff. We are so in love with our ideas and our business that we forget that its not even about us. It’s about the prospective of the customer.

This article has been edited and condensed.

Brand Guru. Creative Director. Victoria Reese is the founder of The Victor Group, a LA-based creative consulting agency. She is a self-proclaimed down-to-earth Detroit girl to the core, carries the Howard University (Washington, DC) heir like no other and has picked up the New York hustle and bustle along her journey. Connect with @picturethisvic on Twitter.

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